Housebroken??!!

Sobe is now approaching 5 months old and he has been with us for 2 whole months now.  Feels like he's been around forever though!  I still can't believe I've been waking up everyday at 7am for 2 whole months and counting!!! 

In this entry, I'd like to revisit Sobe's potty training.  His last accident was on Monday morning when Rick and I were getting ready for work and we gated him outside the hallway to our bedroom.  He whimpered, scratched at the gate and ended up spotting on our rug.  I think he was nervous/ excited and panicking but still, an accident's an accident, whatever the reason.  Aside from that Sobe has been very good and holding it in.  I notice myself relaxing more lately and can even leave him in the room alone for a short amount of time.  His crate time has been shortened.  We used to leave him crated in the evenings for a couple of hours before his last walk of the night.  Now, he's out and about and we haven't had any accidents (fingers crossed).  We still crate him when we leave the house but I hope that by next month, we can confine him to the kitchen or part of the room where he can run around during the day and crate him at night.  Rick and I basically stick to a rigid schedule with him since he still doesn't communicate his need to go outside.  Let's see how this month progresses!!

Ear Infection Blues

I took Sobe to the groomers a couple of weekends ago and a week later, he ended up with an ear infection.  Rick thinks it's because I don't plug cottonballs in his ears during baths but I think it may have been the groomer!  Well, point is, Sobe has an ear infection and the vet gave us these drops to put in his ear twice a day.  The first night I gave him the drops, he had no clue what was happening and gave a squeak after I was done.  It was pretty effortless!  Next morning, it became a 10 minute struggle where Sobe squirmed and kicked.  I held him like a football under my arm and dug the bottle under his ear and administered the drops.  Keep in mind Sobe has floppy ears that don't stay up.  I fold his ear open but with each squirm, it will flop back down to cover up his ear canal.  I missed many times and he has ointment on his fur and around his head.  Poor thing looks like a grease ball.  By the third day, Sobe knew what's up.  He sees me grab the bottle of drops, buckles down and does not let me pick him up.  You'd be surprised how quickly they learn especially if it's something they hate!  From that third day on, it was a constant 20 minute struggle of kicking, wriggling, barking and snapping morning and night!  Rick has a bad case of humanizing Sobe and doesn't want any part of the "traumatizing" experience because Sobe will associate it with him.  So I wonder what Sobe thinks of me!  His crazy mommy grabbing him and relentlessly flipping his ear open twice a day!  It's already been two weeks of this and Sobe and I both hate it.  We would both be exhausted by the time I'm done with the last drop! 

Finally this weekend, I had Rick's friend, Aaron, help me hold Sobe down while I gave him the drops.  The whole ordeal was under a minute as opposed to 20 minutes of struggling!  Not like Sobe really has a chance to struggle under Aaron's headlock.  I'd like to add in that while Aaron and I were being the "bad guys", Rick called Sobe over to him afterwards cooing, "That's ok Sobe! I love you!"  Need I say more?

Eventually I was able to convince Rick that it's much better for Sobe to get through it as quickly as possible instead of prolonging a bad experience.  The last couple of times, Rick put Sobe on his side and held him still while I put in the medicine.  There was even less struggle this time!  Rick doesn't have to be the bad guy now and I hope Sobe will finally see a glimmer of halo over my head.